adminADDID ABABA. — Emmanuel Emenike scored twice in Addis Ababa as African champions, Nigeria, defeated Ethiopia 2-1 in the first leg of the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier yesterday. Behailu Assefa opened the scoring for the Ethiopians before Emenike levelled the game and then scored the winner from the spot.
The Ethiopians dominated the opening half with short passes but the first real chance fell to Nnamdi Oduamadi who missed from close range by side-footing wide while unmarked after 21 minutes.
Two minutes later the Ethiopians had their chance.
A short interchange of play by the Ethiopians freed up Gebreyes Adane Girma who shot tamely at Vincent Enyeama.
And on 25 minutes, Said Salhadin controlled the ball exquisitely with his first touch, tapped it past Enyeama but Godfrey Oboabona cleared off the line with Salhadin celebrating away to raise the goal technology question of ‘did the ball cross the line?’
In the 32nd minute, Ahmed Musa tried from long range to force a save out of the Ethiopia goalkeeper Jemal Tassew.
Seven minutes to the break, Adane Girma dribbled his way through the forest of legs in Nigeria’s defence to give himself a sight at goal but his attempt went wide from the edge of the box.
Inside of added time in the first half, Salhadin again did well with his first touch to cut inside of Efe Ambrose before shooting at goal but Enyeama palmed it away to safety.
The restart was no different from the first 45 minutes as the Ethiopians continued with large share of possession.
On 57 minutes, out of nothing the Ethiopians scored. Behailu Assefa’s cross squeezed past the line after Enyeama reacted late in catching the ball.
The lead lasted just 10 minutes as Emenike’s shot all from 25 yards beat Tassew in Ethiopia’s goal.
Nigeria then raised their game and in the 77th minute, John Obi Mikel threaded a pass to Musa, whose shot came off the upright. It was a huge let-off for the East Africans.
But with a minute to time, Hailu Reda Aynalem upended Emenike in the box for a late penalty.
Emenike stepped up and scored the winner by sending Tassew the wrong way.
The African champions take the advantage into the return leg in Calabar on November 16.
Didier Drogba scored as Ivory Coast overcame Senegal 3-1 in Abidjan on Saturday to boost hopes of a third consecutive World Cup appearance.
The 35-year-old striker converted a penalty after five minutes at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Lamine Sane conceded an own goal and Salomon Kalou netted soon after halftime.
But Papiss Cisse pulled one goal back six minutes into stoppage time after the ball slipped from the grasp of goalkeeper Boubacar Barry. Turkey-based Drogba put the Ivorians ahead after Cheikhou Kouyate fouled Gervinho, whose cross nine minutes later was turned into his own net by Sane.
Roma wide man Gervinho was also involved in the third goal, sending Kalou through the middle to beat Bouna Coundoul at his near post.
Aristide Bance converted a late penalty to give Burkina Faso a 3-2 home win over Algeria Saturday in the first leg of their Fifa World Cup™ play-off.
Algeria host Burkina Faso on November 19 in the return match and the overall winners qualify for Brazil 2014. The home team suffered an early blow when defender Bakary Kone was forced to retire with a thigh injury and Steeve Yago came on.
But as the opening half passed the half hour, 2013 CAF Africa Cup of Nations star Jonathan Pitroipa began to stamp his authority on a game needing a lift.
He won a penalty as the first half drew to a close when Essaid Belkalem from English second-tier club Watford floored him with a wild tackle.
But Adi Mbolhi dived left to make a two-hand save from a hard Bance kick. However, the Burkinabe did take the lead two minutes into stoppage time as Pitroipa met a Jean-Noel Lingani cross and his header landed in the far corner.
Algeria began the second half strongly and were level on 50 minutes when Sofiane Feghouli fired past Daouda Diakite from close range after Islam Slimani set him up. The cagey play of the early stages had given way to more adventurous football from both teams and Burkina Faso and Algeria scored again within five minutes.
Djakaridja Kone put the Stallions ahead once more by powering forward from midfield and firing wide of Mbolhi into the far corner. But a flying Carl Medjani header off a corner gave Diakite no chance and the teams remained level until Bance atoned for his earlier penalty miss. – AFP
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